Support gasket for use in a concrete mold for vertically forming concrete panels

ABSTRACT

A support gasket for use with a concrete panel mold system comprises an inner stiffener bar and engagement structure, attached to or formed integrally with the stiffening bar. The engagement structure is operable to engage an adjacent material. A pliable gasket material is disposed about the inner stiffening bar and is positively engaged with the engagement structure to secure the gasket material to the stiffening bar.

PRIORITY

This is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/234,545, filed Sep. 19, 2008, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,246,002,which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/699,767, filed Jan. 29, 2007, now issued as U.S. Pat. No.7,661,649, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/676,670, filed Sep. 30, 2003, now issued as U.S. Pat. No.7,182,307, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Vertically forming concrete panels is a process that has been used formany years. One superior system for doing so is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 7,182,307, to at least some of the present inventors. While suchsystems have proved effective, there remain a number of issues to beaddressed. One such issue relates to the considerable weight applied bywet concrete to a mold framework after the wet concrete has been pouredinto the mold. In the case where a lower form is used in a mold frame todefine or support a bottom surface of the vertical panel being formed,the lower form must carry the entire weight of the wet (and, later, thecured) concrete within the form. As such, many lower forms used in suchsystems become prematurely worn or damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention provides a concretemold device for vertically forming a concrete panel, including aplurality of concrete forms for collectively defining a mold cavity forreceiving an uncured concrete mixture therein. The concrete forms caninclude: i) a pair of opposing side wall forms configured to define sidewall surfaces of the mold cavity; ii) a pair of opposing end wall forms,configured to define end wall surfaces of the mold cavity; and iii) anelongate lower support gasket having an upper surface configured todefine a bottom surface of the mold cavity, the lower support gasketbeing formed from a pliable material. Reinforcing structure can beassociated with, and can be formed from a different material than, thelower support gasket to increase a load-bearing capacity of the lowersupport gasket. Engagement structure can be carried by the reinforcingstructure. The engagement structure can be operable to positively engagethe pliable material of the lower support gasket to secure the lowersupport gasket to the reinforcing structure.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a support gasket foruse with a concrete panel mold system is provided, including an innerstiffener bar and engagement structure, attached to or formed integrallywith the stiffening bar. The engagement structure can be operable toengage an adjacent material. A pliable gasket material can be disposedabout the inner stiffening bar and can positively engage the engagementstructure to secure the gasket material to the stiffening bar.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for forminga lower support gasket for use in a concrete mold system is provided,including: obtaining an stiffener bar; forming in, or attaching to, thestiffener bar engagement structure operable to engage a surroundingmaterial; forming a pliable gasket material about the stiffener bar; andpositively engaging the engagement structure with the pliable gasketmaterial to secure the gasket material to the stiffener bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example,features of the invention; and, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertical concrete panel forming systemin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, including aformed concrete panel associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a system for vertically forming concrete panelsin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an end, sectional view of a lower support gasket in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an end, sectional view of a lower support gasket in accordancewith another aspect of the invention;

FIG. 5A is a side, sectioned view of a reinforcing tube of the lowersupport gasket of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 5B is a side, sectioned view of the reinforcing tube of the lowersupport gasket of FIG. 4, shown with a differing engagement structureconfiguration;

FIG. 6 is an end, sectional view of a lower support gasket in accordancewith another aspect of the invention, having gasket material engagementstructure extending therefrom; and

FIG. 7 is an end, sectional view of a lower support gasket in accordancewith another aspect of the invention, having gasket material engagementstructure formed therein.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, andspecific language will be used herein to describe the same. It willnevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form apart hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, exemplaryembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. While theseexemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understoodthat other embodiments may be realized and that various changes to theinvention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

In describing and claiming the present invention, the followingterminology will be used.

As used here, the term “positively engage” is used to describe arelationship between two components or materials in which the componentsor materials are mechanically engaged with one another. Examples ofpositively engaged materials include materials that overlap one anothersuch that separation of the materials would necessarily result indeformation (either permanent or temporary) of one or both thematerials. As a negative example, two planar materials that are bondedface-to-face would not be considered positively engaged to one, as thatterm is used herein, as the forces holding the materials together wouldresult purely from the adhesive between the two faces.

As used herein, relative terms, such as “upper,” “lower,” “upwardly,”“downwardly,” “vertically,” etc., are used to refer to variouscomponents, and orientations of components, of the systems discussedherein, and related structures with which the present systems can beutilized, as those terms would be readily understood by one of ordinaryskill in the relevant art. It is to be understood that such terms arenot intended to limit the present invention but are used to aid indescribing the components of the present systems, and related structuresgenerally, in the most straightforward manner. For example, one skilledin the relevant art would readily appreciate that a “vertical” concretepanel turned on its side would still constitute a vertical panel,despite its lateral orientation.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete ornearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property,state, structure, item, or result. As an arbitrary example, when anobject or group of objects is/are referred to as being “substantially”symmetrical, it is to be understood that the object or objects areeither completely symmetrical or are nearly completely symmetrical. Theexact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may insome cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speakingthe nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall resultas if absolute and total completion were obtained.

The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negativeconnotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action,characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As anarbitrary example, an opening that is “substantially free of” materialwould either completely lack material, or so nearly completely lackmaterial that the effect would be the same as if it completely lackedmaterial. In other words, an opening that is “substantially free of”material may still actually contain some such material as long as thereis no measurable effect as a result thereof.

Invention

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated inthe drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe thesame. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scopeof the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and furthermodifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, andadditional applications of the principles of the inventions asillustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant artand having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered withinthe scope of the invention.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a vertical concrete panel 10formed in accordance with one aspect of the system described herein.Various forms and structure such as side wall forms 18, end wall forms24 and lower support gasket 26 can be utilized to form the verticalconcrete panel 10. Vertical concrete panels such as that shown are usedin a variety of applications, including residential and commercialfencing, sound wall applications, etc. Concrete panels formed inaccordance with the present invention generally require little or nomaintenance, provide superior strength, and can be relatively quicklyassembled on the job site into a fence or other structure. Assembly ofthe panels into a fence structure is generally accomplished byinstalling or forming posts (not shown) which include slot structureinto which the panels are disposed and held securely.

The concrete panel 10 can include, but does not always include, adecorative pattern 12 formed in at least one side of the panel. In oneembodiment of the invention, the decorative pattern is advantageouslyformed simultaneously in both sides of the panel. The decorative patterncan be formed to appear as a rock wall, a brick wall, or other suchdesirable patterns. As used herein, the term “decorative pattern” isunderstood to mean a pattern applied to the concrete panels, and may bedecorative or functional, or both, in nature. In addition to thedecorative pattern applied to the panel, the concrete panel can bestained or dyed in a particular color scheme to enhance theaesthetically pleasing appearance of the panel.

The present system can be utilized to form concrete panels of a varietyof sizes. For example, vertical concrete panels can be formed with alength of 12 feet, a height of 6 or 8 feet, and a thickness of 4 inches.As described in more detail below, panels of varied width can be formedwith the present system, including panels with 4, 5 or 6 inch widths.The system can be adapted to provide a number of variously sized andshaped vertical concrete panels with minimal adjustments to the systembeing necessary to effectuate formation of differently sized panels.

Shown generally at 14 in FIG. 2 is a side view of a system and device inaccordance with the present invention that can be used to verticallyform concrete panels such as that illustrated in at 10 in FIG. 1. Thesystem can include a generally rectangular support frame assembly 15which can receive and support a variety of concrete forms. The concreteforms can include a pair of opposing side wall forms 18 which defineside wall surfaces 21 of a mold cavity 20. The side wall forms arespaced a desired distance apart, corresponding to a desired thickness ofthe concrete panel to be formed. End wall forms (24 in FIG. 1) can bepositioned adjacent the side wall forms to define end wall surfaces ofthe mold cavity. An elongate lower support gasket 26 can define a bottomsurface of the mold cavity.

Thus, in this embodiment, the side wall forms 18, end wall forms 24 (notshown in FIG. 2) and lower support gaskets 26 are positioned to define aplurality of vertical mold cavities 20 that correspond to a concretepanel to be formed in each cavity. As discussed in further detail below,various tensioning and restraining devices can be used to ensure thatthe mold forms are not displaced by the introduction of uncured, or“wet” concrete in the mold cavity. Once each mold cavity is defined, andany retaining structure has been applied, wet concrete can be pouredinto each mold cavity. Vibrators or other agitating devices can beutilized when pouring the wet concrete to minimize voids and ensure thewet concrete fills each cavity to the extent desired.

After pouring, the concrete in the forms can be allowed to cure, afterwhich the various retaining structure and forms can be removed. Thecured panels can then be removed from the support frame assembly. In oneaspect, the panels are removed by lifting equipment (not shown) whichlifts each panel vertically away from the support frame assembly. Theprocess can then be repeated a number of times to create a number ofconcrete panels. In the case where the proper concrete mix is used, thesystem can form panels on a one day cycle, that is, panels can be pouredin the morning and allowed to cure through the night. The followingmorning, the cured panels can be removed, the forms can be reassembled,and the process begun again.

The system can be used to simultaneously form a plurality of concretepanels in a manner that utilizes minimal floor space. To illustrate thespace efficient manner in which concrete panels can be formed with thepresent invention, consider the case in which a concrete fence is to beformed from concrete panels having dimensions of 6 feet in height, 10feet in length and 4 inches in width. Horizontally pouring a sufficientnumber of panels for a fence of 100 feet in length would require as muchas 600 square feet of floor space for the horizontal forms alone. Incontrast, concrete panels formed vertically in accordance with thepresent invention can require about one-tenth of that amount, with aslittle as only 67 square feet of floor space being required. Because thepresent system laterally “stacks” vertical concrete mold cavities,optimal space savings can be obtained with the further advantage ofvertically forming decorative patterns on both sides of the panels.

The reader is directed to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/699,767,filed Jan. 29, 2007, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,182,307, both of which arehereby incorporated herein by reference, for more information relatingto the advantages and operating features of the system in general. Thefollowing discussion will focus on the lower support gasket 26, and thevarious support and engagement structures associated therewith.

Turning now to FIG. 3, one exemplary lower support gasket 26 inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The lowersupport gasket can include reinforcing structure 50 associated therewithwhich can increase a load-bearing capacity of the support gasket. Thereinforcing structure can be formed from a variety of materials suitableto increase the load-bearing capacity of the support gasket, including,for example, materials which are stronger and/or stiffer than thesupport gasket. Examples of suitable materials from which thereinforcing structure can be formed include, without limitation,metallic materials such as steel, aluminum and the like, ceramicmaterials, graphite-composite materials, and the like. The reinforcingstructure can be formed from a material that is different than amaterial of which the support gasket is formed, and is generally morerigid or stiff than the surrounding support gasket material. The supportgasket material can include a variety of materials, including, withoutlimitation, polymeric materials, polyurethane, 21-60 polyurethane, etc.

In one aspect of the invention, the reinforcing structure is comprisedof an elongate, generally tubular steel material that extends along amajority of a length of the support gasket. The support gasket materialcan substantially encompass an outer portion of the reinforcingstructure and/or fill a hollow interior portion of the reinforcingstructure. While not so limited, in one aspect of the invention thereinforcing material can be formed from structure or material that isseparate and distinct from the support gasket material. The reinforcingmaterial can also be oriented within (or immediately adjacent to) thesupport gasket material in a consistent, uniform manner that isnon-random in nature.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the reinforcing structure isdisposed at least partially within the lower support gasket to providesupport to the gasket without interfering with the concrete pouringprocess. In this embodiment, the reinforcing structure includes a pairof substantially rectangularly-shaped steel tubes 51. The tubes canminimize the amount of compliant polymer that is needed, such thatsufficient polymer is present to seal the mold cavity, but is preventedfrom deforming to an undesirable level by the reinforcing structure. Inaddition to the embodiment shown, the reinforcing structure can bedisposed on, over, or adjacent to the support gasket to providereinforcement to the support gasket.

While the reinforcing structure 50 has proved to be an effectiveaddition to the present system, it has been found that it can bedifficult to adhere the pliable gasket material 49 of the lower supportgasket 26 to the reinforcing structure with a bond integrity sufficientto withstand the considerable forces applied to the lower support gasket26. After a period of use, the gasket material 49 can begin to “peel”away from the reinforcing structure, leading to premature failure of thelower support gasket. The present invention addresses this issue byassociating a variety of different types of engagement structure withthe reinforcement structure.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, engagementstructure 60 is coupled to steel tubes 51 to serve as an interfacebetween the pliable gasket material 49 and the steel tubes. In thismanner, a secure bond between the gasket material and the reinforcingstructure can be maintained through a significantly longer product life.The reinforcing structure 60 shown in FIG. 4 (and in side view in FIG.5A) includes a perforated sheet of material that includes a series ofcavities 62 defined by a series of walls or ribs 64. In one aspect ofthe invention, the perforated sheet includes, or is formed from, a sheetof expanded metal, a product readily available from commercial sources.Expanded metal of a variety of types and sizes can be utilized with thepresent invention.

In one embodiment, ¼ inch expanded metal is used, and is cut or formedinto strips that are then welded to the steel tubes 51. In one aspect ofthe invention, a pair of strips is welded along the sides of the steeltubes along substantially the full length of the steel tubes. A widerstrip 66 can be attached, in some applications, along an upper portionof the steel tubes to increase the bonding interface between the gasketmaterial and the steel tubes. While the expanded metal can be attachedalong the entire length of the steel tube, if desired (as shown in FIG.5A), in one aspect of the invention sectional pieces of shorter lengthcan be attached to the tubes at various places along the length of thetubes, as illustrated by example in FIG. 5B. Attachment of theengagement structure to the reinforcement structure can be done in avariety of manners, including welding, bonding, bolting, screwing,lashing, etc.

Expanded metal is only one example of a wide range of suitable materialsthat might be used as the engagement material. A variety of othermaterials having some type of engagement structure associated therewithcan also be used. In one example, shown schematically in FIG. 6, theengagement structure can include one or more lugs 66 that can beattached to, or can otherwise extend from, the elongate tubes 51 toengage the gasket material 49. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, theengagement structure comprises a series of openings 68 formed throughthe elongate tubes 51. As the gasket material is formed about the tubes51, some of the material is forced through the openings. Upon curing,the gasket material positively engages the openings to thereby securethe gasket material about the elongate tubes.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of thepresent invention in one or more particular applications, it will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerousmodifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be madewithout the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing fromthe principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is notintended that the invention be limited, except as by any claimsassociated with this or related applications.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for forming a lower support gasketfor use in a concrete mold system, comprising: obtaining a stiffenerbar; forming in, or attaching to, the stiffener bar engagement structureoperable to engage a surrounding material; forming a pliable gasketmaterial about the stiffener bar; and positively engaging the engagementstructure with the pliable gasket material to secure the gasket materialto the stiffener bar; wherein the stiffener bar comprises an elongatesteel tube, and wherein the engagement structure comprises a sheet ofexpanded metal welded to the steel tube.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein positively engaging the engagement structure with the pliablegasket material comprises forming the pliable gasket material about orthrough orifices formed in the expanded metal.